Truss.



W. WENZEL.

TRUSS.

APPLICATION man my. I8. 1916.

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I WALLACE WENZEL, OF SOUTH HADLEY FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRUSS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

Application filed January 18, 1916. Serial No. 72,841.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALLACE WENZEL, a citizenof the United States of America, residing at South Hadley Falls, in thecounty of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Truss, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hernial trusses, and resides ina hollow perforated presser member or pad, which is provided with anexterior guard or shield arranged to hold the clothing away from saidpad, and certain peculiar attaching means for the straps with which saidpad is secured in position on the body, together with such auxiliary-andsubsidiary parts and members as may be needed to render the trusscomplete, all as hereinafter set forth.

An object of my invention is to produce a comparatively simple andinexpensive truss which can be maintained over the hernial spot with asteady pressure and without liability of displacement from any action ormovement of the body and legs of the wearer.

v A further object is to provide a ventilated, hencecool andcomfortable, truss pad, provision being made for the circulation of airfreely in and through such pad. Although there can be no circulation ofair through the pad at the place where the same contacts with the flesh,when said pad the circulation at other points keeps the pad and theflesh both 0001, and perspiration is prevented by the presence of aperforated surface next to the flesh. Herein is animportant and valuablefeature of my invention.

In order to effect the thorough and constant ventilation of the pad Iprovide the same with the shield to which reference has been made. Thisshield holds the clothing away from the front or outer side of the padso that the perforations in such side are not covered and closed by suchclothing.

Still another. object is to provide convenient, secure, and efficientmeans wherewith or whereby the pad and straps can be readily connectedand disconnected. 1

Other objects in the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the adyantages of my invention by themeans illusand advantages will appear trated in the accompanyingdrawings, in wh1ch Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single. trusswhlch embodies a practical form of my invention; Fig.2, a perspectiveview of a double truss which, aside from the double feature, is similarto the truss shown in the preceding, view, the left-hand shield beingomitted; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail of one of the strap connections;Fig. 4, an enlarged front elevation of the pad and connections shown in1 and 2, without the shield, Fig. 5, a central vertical section throughthe pad shown in the preceding view, taken on lines 5 -5, looking in thedirection of the associated arrow, in the said view, the shield being inplace and the connections omitted; Fig. 6, a front elevation of amodified form of pad and connections, without the shield, and, Fig. 7, acentral vertical section, on lines 77, looking in the direction ofassociated arrow, Fig. 6, the shield being here included.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The truss comprises, with a pad 1 and its accessories which willpresently be described, the necessary straps which include a body belt 2and a crotch band 3. The belt 2 and band 3 may be made of any suitablematerial and in any suitable manner, but I prefer to employ a d'ouble'orlooped strap for each, securing the free ends of the belt strap with anordinary tri-bar clasp 4, and using a similar clasp with which to securethe free ends of the crotch strap. The clasps 4 are especially adaptedfor my purpose because they are flat, and even though tonguelessaffordthe necessary security, owing to the frictional resistance thatexists when said clasps are in place on the straps. Being withouttongues the clasps 4: can very readily be adjusted on the straps or thelatter through said clasps.

Preferably an adjustable connection is formed by the crotch band 3 withthe belt 2, so that the rear looped terminal of said band can be locatedat the most suitable'place on said belt and attached or secured theretoat such place, and to this end one terminal of the band strap is carriedover said belt, after being passed up through the band clasp 4, and thenbrought down through said clasp again, while the other, strap terminalis bar thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

After the band 3 has been adjusted on the belt 2, the band clasp a isforced upwardly so as to cause the hand strap tightly to embrace saidbelt. For the double truss an additional crotch band 3 and a second pad1 are provided, also a looped-strap connection 5, with a clasp 1therefor and thereon, to connect the two pads.

At each looped terminal of the belt 2 and the front looped terminal. ofthe crotch band in each case, also at each looped terminal ofthe-c0nnecti0n 5, is a, fastener (3. The fasteners 6 for one type of padherein shown have slots 7 therein, while the fasteners 6 for the othertype of pad herein shown are provided with hooks 8. The inner ends ofthe slots 7 are enlarged as represented at 9.

Each pad 1 is hollow and has perforations 10 in both the back and frontsides. Said pad may be made of metal, such as aluminum, and constructedin two parts or sections which are screw-threaded at their edges andunited by being screwed together, as represented at 11 in Figs. 5 and 7.

A shield 12 is provided for each pad 1, such shield having a centralstem 13 which is'tapped into an axial. socket 141 thatprojects inwardlyfrom the back side of said pad. The stem 13 supports the shield 12 infront of the outside face of the pad to which it is attached, and at asufficient distance from such face to prevent the clothing from closingthe perforations 10 in the front side of said pad, and to provide roomfor the ends of the fasteners (i that engage the pad, when such ends arein place. The space between the pad and its shield may not be sufficientto enable the fasteners to be attached to and detached from such pad,and when such is the, case it is necessary to remove such shield, byunscrewing the stem 13 thereof, before said fasteners are attached ordetached, immediately afterward replacing said shield, unless, when theparts are detached, it be desired to delay replacing the shield untilthe parts are again attached.

The pad 1, in Figs. 1, 2, 4t and 5, is equipped with threeradially-movable posts 15 which have heads 16. Each post 15 extendsthrough and operates in a radial slot 17 in the front of the pad 1, withits head 16 and a portion of said post outside of said front, and saidpost has affixed to the inner end thereof a guide plunger 18, the postand plunger being at right angles to each other, and the junctionbetween such members being near the inner end of said plunger. Eachplunger 18 operates in a radial socket 19 in the pad, such socket havingin the front side thereof a slot 20 which is parallel with and directlybehind one of the slots 17 and through and in which the post 15 attachedto such plunger extends and operates. A spiral spring 21 is located ineach socket 19, between the closed outer end thereof and the post 15that extends into such socket, partially encircling the plunger 18attached to said post, and normally retains said post at the inner endsof the slots 20 and 17 in which the post is located. The slots 17 and20, which thus limit the inward movement of the posts 15, also serve asguides for said posts. As stated above, normally the posts 15 are at theinner ends of their travel, as represented in Figs. 2, 1 and 5. An axialopening 22 is provided in the front of the pad 1 now being considered toaccommodate the shield stem 13. The posts 15 are de signed to affordpoints of attachment for the slotted fasteners 6, such fasteners beingslipped on and off over the heads 16, which latter are receivable in theenlargements 9 of the slots 7, in the manner customary with fasteners ofthis type.

The pad, illustrated in the last two views, has merely a central frontopening 23, into which the fastener hooks 8 are introduced, and the edgeof which serves as the anchorage for such hooks. The shield 12 for thispad is supported by its stem 18, which latter passes through the opening23,in front of said opening and prevents the clothing from coveringeither this opening or the adjacent perforations 10. The shield in thisas in the other case itself stands clear of the pad and affordsclearance for the fasteners.

The slotted fasteners 6 form pivotal connections with the posts 15 ofsuch a nature that the body straps can move freely, relative to theattached pad or pads, without disturbing the latter or turning ortwisting the same on the hernial spot; and likewise the hooks 8, on theother fasteners, fulcrum on the edge of the opening 23 in such a manneras'to permit entire freedom of strap movement, so that the attached pador pads are not disturbed thereby.

The springs 21, in the first type of pad, afford the required amount offlexibility for the body straps, yielding by compression when suchstraps are drawn away from the pad, andexpanding to take up slack, thuskeeping said straps taut at all times, so that the straps need not bemade of elastic material, as is necessary in the case of the straps usedwith the second type of pad, although elastic material may be employed,if de sired, for the first-mentioned straps.

The single truss is applied, after the shield 12 has been removed, byencircling the body with the belt 2 and attaching the belt fasteners 6to the pad 1, locating said pad directly over the hernial spot, andcarrying the band 3 between the legs and up and attaching the bandfastener 6 to said pad. Then the shield 12 is secured to the pad byscrewing the shank 13 of said shield into the socket 14 in said pad. Theslotted fasteners 6 are slipped into place, over the heads 16 and thenmoved outwardly to locate the posts 15 in the outer ends of the slots 7such outer ends being between the front of the pad and the heads 16. Thefasteners 6 which are provided with the hooks 8 are simply hooked intothe open front of the pad. The first time that the truss is applied, andat other times if necessary, the belt 2 and the band 3 are adjusted, asmay be required to locate the pad in proper position and fit securelybut comfortably the body of the wearer, by drawing the straps throughthe clasps 4 to lengthen or shorten the parts as needed, and anyrequired adjustment ofsaid band on said belt may be made in the mannerhereinbefore described.

The manner of applying and fitting the double truss to the body is verysimilar to that explained above of applyingand fitting the single truss,only with the double truss there are two crotch bands to attach andadjust, instead of one, the connection 5 to be attached to the twopads-and adjusted, and two shields 12 to be placed in position, insteadof one.

The single truss is removed from the body by detaching or disconnectingthe .crotch band 3 and one looped end of the belt 2 from the pad 1. Thedouble truss is removed from the body by disconnecting both crotch bandsfrom the pads and one looped end of the belt or of the connection 5 fromthe adjacent pad. In the present constructions it is necessary to removethe shield or shields from the pad or pads before proceeding to unfastenthe truss for removal as previously observed.

As is plainly to be seen, these pads are thoroughly ventilated andtherefore sanitary and comfortable.

Then once properly adjusted, the pad does not rub on the flesh, and itsshield prevents the clothing from rubbing directly on the pad, unless itbe on the outer edge thereof where the same can do not harm.

The shape, size, arrangement, and construction of the truss elements maybe modified or changed, even more than I have herein specifically shownand explained, without departing from the spirit of my invention orexceeding the scope of my claims.

Vhat I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with a hollow perforated truss pad, of a circularshield provided with a central stem which extends rearwardly into saidpad and is attachable thereto, said stem being adapted to support saidshield in front of said pad.

2. The combination, in a truss, with a belt and a crotch band providedwith fasteners, of a pad provided with longitudinally movablenon-oscillating spring-pressed members having parts adapted to beengaged by said fasteners, said members being radial to said pad. Y I

3. The combination, with a hollow truss pad provided with interiorradial sockets, said pad and sockets having radial slots in their frontsides, of longitudinally-movable guides in said sockets, posts attachedto said.

guides and extending outwardly at right angles thereto through saidslots, and springs arranged in said sockets to force said guides towardthe axial center of said pad and said posts toward the inner ends ofsaid slots.

at. The combination, in a truss, of a belt, a crotch band a pad providedwith longitudinally movable non-oscillating springpressed members,having attaching parts, said members being radial to said pad, andfasteners connected to said belt and band, and adapted to be pivotallyengaged with said attaching parts, and to swing in the same generalplane wherein the pad is located.

5. The combination, in a truss, with a radially slotted pad,fastener-engaging members arranged to reciprocate in the slot in saidpad, and springs arranged to force said members toward the inner ends ofsaid slots, of a shield provided with a central stem which extends intosaid pad and is attachable thereto, said stem supporting said shield infront of said pad and over said fastenerengaging members. I

6. The combinatlon, 1n a truss, of a belt and a crotch band providedwith fasteners,

of a radially slotted pad, fastener-engaging members arranged toreclprocate 1n the slots 1n said members toward the inner ends of saidslots, and a shield provided with a central stem which extendsrearwardly into said pad and is attachable thereto, said stem supportingsaid shield in front of said pad and of said fastener-engaging membersand fasteners attached thereto.

ALLACE WVENZEL.

copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

